“Heart and blood vessel disease (also called heart disease) includes numerous problems, many of which are related to a process called atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is a condition that develops when a substance called plaque builds up in the walls of the arteries. This buildup narrows the arteries, making it harder for blood to flow through. If a blood clot forms, it can block the blood flow. This can cause a heart attack or stroke.”

American Heart Association (AHA)

“High blood pressure (hypertension) can quietly damage your body for years before symptoms develop. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to disability, a poor quality of life, or even a fatal heart attack or stroke.

Treatment and lifestyle changes can help control your high blood pressure to reduce your risk of life-threatening complications.”

MAYO CLINIC

“What are the risk factors for hypertension? Modifiable risk factors include unhealthy diets (excessive salt consumption, a diet high in saturated fat and trans fats, low intake of fruits and vegetables), physical inactivity, consumption of tobacco and alcohol, and being overweight or obese.”.

World Health Organization (WHO)

-STRESS REDUCTION

Stress is defined as feeling tense on the inside due to pressures from the outside. Most of us have many of these pressures, and some handle them better than others. Since stress makes the heart work harder, try to find ways to relieve the pressure you felt when stressed.

One way of coping with stress is to deal with your feelings. You may feel depressed, angry or anxious because you have high blood pressure. These feelings are normal. It may help to talk about how you feel with your family and friends. When you accept that you have high B/P, you can put your efforts into living a more productive, good life with dealing with the hypertension.

Many people find yoga, meditation and prescribed exercise helpful. Always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program to make sure you get clearance of what is safe for you by your primary doctor or cardiologist.

-Eat less SODIUM

Sodium is an important substance. It helps your body balance the level of fluid inside and outside of the cells. To keep up this balance, the body needs about 2000mg of sodium a day or less. Yet most of us eat 3000 to 6000mg of sodium each day.

Most people with high b/p are asked to eat less sodium. Sodium attracts water and makes the body hold fluid. To pump the added fluid the heart works harder. Also sodium in the body causes the arteries to vasocontrict increasing pressure in the vessels causing the pressure to rise.

Most people with high b/p are asked to eat less sodium at 2000mg or less a day and this is to prevent water retention and vasoconstriction in which both actions increase the blood pressure. Follow your doctor’s advice about your sodium intake.

Many prepared foods and spices are high in sodium. But, the most common source of sodium is table salt. Table salt is 40% sodium and 60% chloride. One teaspoon of table salt contains 2000mg of sodium.

HINTS TO LOWER YOUR SODIUM IN YOUR DIET:

-Season foods with fresh or dried herbs, vegetables, fruits or no-salt seasonings.

-Do not cook with salt or add salt to foods after they are on the table.

-Make your own breads, rolls, sauces, salad dressings, vegetable dishes and desserts when you can.

-Stay away from fast foods. They are almost all high in salt.

-Eat fresh, frozen or canned, unsalted vegetables. These have less sodium than most processed foods. Read the labels and if they don’t have a label DON’T EAT IT. Read the labels and eat the portioned size it says to for 1 portion with keeping a diary of what you ate with adding the sodium and when it reached 2000mg no more food that day with salt in it unless the doctor prescribes less.

-Buy water packed tuna and salmon. Break it up into a bowl of cold water, and let stand for 3 minutes. Rinse, drain and squeeze out water.

-Don’t buy convenience foods such as prepared or skillet dinners, deli foods, cold cuts, hot dogs, frozen entrees or canned soups. These have lots of salt. Be picky on what you eat.

-Again, read all labels for salt, sodium or sodium products (such as sodium benzoate, MSG). Ingredients are listed in the order of amount used. A low sodium label means 140mg of less per serving. Try to buy products labeled low sodium/serving. Do not eat products that have more sodium than this per serving.

-AHA states, “If you drink, limit your alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks per day for men and no more than one drink per day for women. A drink is one 12 oz. beer, 4 oz. of wine, 1.5 oz. of 80-proof spirits or 1 oz. of 100-proof spirits.

I’ve read that red wine is heart healthy — can I drink as much as I’d like?
Unfortunately, red wine as a miracle drink for heart heath is a myth. The linkage reported in many of these studies may be due to other lifestyle factors rather than alcohol. Like any other dietary or lifestyle choice, it’s a matter of moderation.

If you need help–
If cutting back on alcohol is hard for you to do on your own, ask your healthcare provider about getting help.”

The AHA also states,  “Lifestyle plays an important role in treating your high blood pressure. If you successfully control your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle, you might avoid, delay or reduce the need for medication.

High blood pressure is a “silent killer”
You may not feel that anything is wrong, but high blood pressure could be quietly causing damage that can threaten your health. The best prevention is knowing your numbers and making changes that matter in order to prevent and manage high blood pressure. “.

MAYO CLINIC provides information as well about HTN and how to prevent it by:

-“When you eat out, order baked, broiled, steamed or pouched foods without breading or butter or sauces. Also ask that no salt be added. Go easy on the salad dressing. Most are high in salt.

What not to buy:

-Canned Vegetables, sauerkraut. Self rising flour and corn meal. Prepared mixes (waffle, pancake, muffin, cornbread, etc…)

-Dairy Products- like buttermilk (store-bought), canned milks unless diluted and used as regular milk).   Egg substitute limit to ½ cup/day. Eggnog (store bought) and salted butter or margarine do not buy.

-Soups: Boullon (all kinds), canned broth, dry soup mixes, canned soups.

-Meats and meat substitutes not to buy= Canned meats, canned fish, cured meats, all types of sausages, sandwich meats, peanut butter, salted nuts.

-Prepared mixes (pie, pudding, cake) or store bought pies, cakes, muffins.

-Cooking ingredients to use low sodium type or limit to 2 tbsp/day=

Catsup, chili sauce, barbeque sauce, mustard, salad dressing.

-Drinks to stay away from Athletic Drinks (such as Gatorade), canned tomato or vegetable juice (unless unsalted).”

“The goal of cardiac rehab is to help you learn to reduce the risk factors — such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, diabetes and being overweight — that increase your chances of future health problems.”

heart.org

“February is American Heart Month, a time when all people can focus on their cardiovascular health. The Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is shining a light on hypertension (high blood pressure), a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

“According to the latest data available from the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, consider the following statistics:

• Unintentional injury is a leading cause of death among children under age 14.
• Leading causes of accidental injury at home are burns, drowning, suffocation, choking, poisonings, falls, and fire arms.
• Burns and fires are a common cause of accidental death in children and adults, and account for an estimated 3,500 adult and child deaths per year.
• Nearly 75 percent of all scalding burns in children are preventable.
• Toddlers and children are more often burned by a scalding or flames.”

Stanford Children’s Health (www.stanfordchildrens.org)

Cardiac rehabilitation, also called cardiac rehab, is a customized outpatient program of exercise and education. Cardiac rehabilitation is designed to help you improve your health and help you recover from a heart attack, other forms of heart disease or surgery to treat heart disease.

Cardiac rehabilitation week this year 2021 is February 14th through the 20th.

Cardiac rehabilitation often involves exercise training, emotional support and education about lifestyle changes to reduce your heart disease risk, such as eating a heart-healthy diet, keeping a healthy weight and quitting smoking.

The goals of cardiac rehabilitation include establishing an individualized plan to help you regain strength, preventing your condition from worsening, reducing your risk of future heart problems,C and improving your health and quality of life.

Research has found that cardiac rehabilitation programs can reduce your risk of death from heart disease and reduce your risk of future heart problems. The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology recommend cardiac rehabilitation programs.

Why is this rehab. done?

Cardiac rehabilitation is an option for people with many forms of heart disease. In particular, you may benefit from cardiac rehabilitation if your medical history includes:

Heart attack/Coronary artery disease/Heart failure/Peripheral artery disease/Chest pain (angina)/Cardiomyopathy/Certain congenital heart diseases/Coronary artery bypass surgery/Angioplasty and stents/Heart or lung transplant/Heart valve repair or replacement/Pulmonary hypertension.

Don’t let your age hold you back from joining a cardiac rehabilitation program. People of all ages can benefit from cardiac rehabilitation.

Cardiac rehabilitation isn’t appropriate for everyone who has had heart disease. Your health care team will evaluate your health, including reviewing your medical history, conducting a physical examination and performing tests, to make sure you’re ready to start a cardiac rehabilitation program.

Rarely, some people suffer injuries, such as strained muscles or sprains, while exercising as a part of cardiac rehabilitation. Your health care team will carefully monitor you while you exercise to lower this risk and will teach you how to avoid injuries when you exercise on your own. There is also a small risk of cardiovascular complications.

“Muscular dystrophy occurs in both sexes and in all ages and races. However, the most common variety, Duchenne, usually occurs in young boys. People with a family history of muscular dystrophy are at higher risk of developing the disease or passing it on to their children.”

MAYO CLINIC

Muscular dystrophy can run in families, or you can be the first one in your family to have it. The condition is caused by problems in your genes.

Genes contain the information your cells need to make proteins that control all of the different functions in the body. When a gene has a problem, your cells can make the wrong protein, the wrong amount of it, or a damaged protein.

You can get muscular dystrophy even if neither of your parents had the disease. This happens when one of your genes gets a defect on its own. But it’s rare for someone to get it this way.

In people with muscular dystrophy, the broken genes are the ones that make the proteins that keep muscles healthy and strong. For example, those with Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophies make too little of a protein called dystrophin, which strengthens muscles and protects them from injury.

For most types of muscular dystrophy, symptoms start to show up in childhood or in the teen years. In general, children with the condition:

You can get muscular dystrophy even if neither of your parents had the disease. This happens when one of your genes gets a defect on its own. But it’s rare for someone to get it this way.

In people with muscular dystrophy, the broken genes are the ones that make the proteins that keep muscles healthy and strong. For example, those with Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophies make too little of a protein called dystrophin, which strengthens muscles and protects them from injury.  Symptoms include:

• Falling down often
• Have weak muscles
• Have muscle cramps
• Have trouble getting up, climbing stairs, running, or jumping
• Walk on their toes or waddle

Some will also have symptoms like:

• A curved spine (called scoliosis)
• Droopy eyelids
• Heart problems
• Trouble breathing or swallowing
• Vision problems
• Weakness in the muscles of the face

How its diagnosed:

Physical Exam including checking your muscle strengths tested, blood tests, MRI, EMG-electromyography, and even a muscle biopsy.

Treatment:  Unfortunately there is no cure but was is used to help deal with the disease is:

• Physical therapy uses different exercises and stretches to keep muscles strong and flexible.
• Occupational therapy teaches your child how to make the most of what his muscles can do. Therapists can also show him how to use wheelchairs, braces, and other devices that can help him with daily life.
• Speech therapy will teach him easier ways to talk if his throat or face muscles are weak.
• Respiratory therapy can help if your child is having trouble breathing. He’ll learn ways to make it easier to breathe, or get machines to help.
• Medicines can help ease symptoms.
  • Eteplirsen (Exondys 51) has been approved to treat DMD. It is an injection medication that helps treat individuals with a specific mutation of the gene that leads to DMD. The most common side effects are balance problems and vomiting. Although the drug increases dystrophin production, which would predict improvement in muscle function, this has not yet been shown.
  • Anti-seizure drugs reduce muscle spasms.
  • Blood pressure medicines help with heart problems.
  • Drugs that turn down the body’s immune system, called immunosuppressants, may slow damage to muscle cells.
  • Steroids like prednisone slow down muscle damage and can help your child breathe better. They can cause serious side effects, such as weak bones and a higher risk of infections.
  • Creatine, a chemical normally found in the body, can help supply energy to muscles and improve strength for some people. Ask your child’s doctor if these supplements are a good idea for him.
• Surgery can help with different complications of muscular dystrophy, like heart problems or trouble swallowing.

Try to include with your Rx from your doctor: